WBB: Michigan Intercollegiate Athletics Association

[TUAngola]

Tournament run ends for Trine as they lose to NYU 66-49.  NYU's length really bothered us inside.  Walker and Bruns are not only long, both over 6', but very athletic and quick.  Then they bring a 6'1 guard in Peper off the bench and have a talented hard nosed point guard in Pellecchia and they make it tough to get any good looks at all.  Honestly they remind me a lot of last year's Hope team in that they play great defense and have a strong interior presence, and can also hit shots.  First half was a defensive slugfest and we were only down 4 at the break.  NYU started to get some shots inside to fall in the 3rd quarter, and when we doubled the bigs they dished to the wings and they hit some huge 3s.  We just couldn't get anything going offensively and dug ourselves in too big of a hole in that decisive 3rd quarter.  I can't fault our girls, they left it all out on the court.  Just ran into a team that we just didn't match up with very well at all.  Wagner led us with 15, no one else in double figures.

The officiating...was...awful.  Awful for both sides.  Is this all the better we can do for a NCAA tournament game?  The worst was at the start of the second half.  NYU begins with the ball, clock is winding down and we knock it out of bounds with 9:29 showing on the clock.  Shot clock violation, right?  No, the refs decide to put 2 seconds back on the shot clock, NYU ball.  The whole gym is like what?  I was sitting by some NYU fans and even they couldn't understand.  There is no adjustment to the game clock.  The refs bail out NYU with a weak foul call on us, NYU gets an extra 20 seconds, they score, and it went downhill for us from there.  Even the NYU girls/staff were giggling about the absurdity of it.

Super proud of our senior class.  Just like last year's class we graduate another 5 gals who have put their all into the program.  Well done Alyssa, Makayla, Sam, Katie and Sophie.  You have left a legacy that you all should be proud of.   

We'll have a good foundation for next year in Sidney Wagner, Katie Tate, Abby Sanner and Sierra Hinds who all played extensively this year.  Jada Rhonehouse and Addison Hutson also provided minutes to give the starters a break, especailly after we lost Sam.  We'll also get Chelsea Giesige back after she was lost for the season in the first scrimmage to an ACL tear.  We'll also need some from the incoming freshman class to contribute right away.       

[pointlem]

Appreciate your faithful reporting, TU Angola, and your loyalty to your team.

And, yes, next year will be a rebuilding year for both Trine and Hope, and a more even league perhaps (said without knowledge of new recruits to each).

[scottiedawg]

Just ran into a team that we just didn't match up with very well at all.

100%

[TUAngola]

Just ran into a team that we just didn't match up with very well at all.

100%

Having Sam Underhill would have helped, but without making shots you aren't going to beat NYU.  We needed to shoot in the 45% range and we weren't close to that number.  NYU's size and defensive ability is the best I've seen this year, any drive to the hoop was met with resistance.  It will be an interesting matchup tonight with NYU and Transylvania.  The Pioneers love to shoot 3's (half of their attempts from last night were from 3) but I think NYU will have the quickness to stay with their shooters, and the length to bother Ball from getting open looks.  I like NYU to advance, but the home court crowd for Transy will be an advantage.  Shooting is contagious, if Transy hits 'em it will be a good game.

[jspiii]

I saw NYU at Hope last year and was impressed with their team. Everyone is back, they were my pre-season pick for this year's championship.

[TUAngola]

I saw NYU at Hope last year and was impressed with their team. Everyone is back, they were my pre-season pick for this year's championship.

Well so much for my prediction, Transylvania played a tremendous game and beat NYU 79-63.  The Pioneers played great.  Their game plan was complete opposite compared to last night against ONU where they mostly shot from the perimeter.  They attacked the paint and got NYU's girls in foul trouble.  Stacy was terrific for Transy and Thornton controlled the glass.  By contrast I thought NYU didn't attack the Pioneers zone defense very well and shot mostly 3 pointers.  Bruns was on the bench a lot and that was key.  Pellecchia also didn't have a good game.     

[Flying Dutch Fan]

Five MIAA Athletes have been named to the Region 7 all-region teams, including 3 on the first team!!

Player of the Year: Brynn Serbin, G, Ohio Northern
Coach of the Year: Mark Huelsman, Ohio Northern
Rookie of the Year: Madilyn Boyer, G, Penn State-Behrend

First team             
Pos.   Player           School           Yr.   Hometown
G   Brynn Serbin   Ohio Northern   Sr.   Pittsburgh, Pa.
G   Sidney Wagner   Trine   So.   Warsaw, Ind.
F   Savannah Feenstra   Hope   Sr.   Osceola, Ind.
F   Kasey Schipfer   Ohio Wesleyan   Jr.   Mechanicsburg, Ohio
C   Gabby Timmer   Calvin   Sr.   Caledonia, Mich.

Second team             
G   Claire Baguley   Hope   Sr.   Ada, Mich.
G   Bri O'Connor   Capital   So.   Hilliard, Ohio
G   Catherine Or   Carnegie Mellon   So.   Los Angeles, Calif.
G/F   Meghan Dryburgh   Washington and Jefferson   So.   Pittsburgh, Pa.
G/F   Isabella Mills   Case Western Reserve   Sr.   Pittsburgh, Pa.

Third team              
G   Makayla Ardis   Trine   Sr.   Lake City, Mich.
G   Emily Irwin   Baldwin Wallace   So.   Pickerington, Ohio
G   Sidney McCully   Pitt-Greensburg   Sr.   Blairsville, Pa.
G   Danajah Sanders   La Roche   Sr.   Cleveland, Ohio
F   Erin Hahn   Marietta   Sr.   Louisville, Ohio


https://www.d3hoops.com/awards/all-region/2022-23/region-7-women

[TUAngola]

Congratulations to Calvin's Gabby Timmer for being named 2nd team All American by D3hoops.com and Trine's Sidney Wagner for gathering 3rd team honors.

[pointlem]

Some fun facts from 2022-2023:
1)   Hope women's 48.4% season shooting was tops among 425 DIII women's teams.
2)   Their 38.2% 3-point shooting also led the DIII world.
3)   The top individual DI 3-point shooter (Alex Giannarus, Boston U), shot 51.6%. Claire Baguley made 54.7% of her 3's, although she attempted too few to be listed at https://www.ncaa.com/stats/basketball-women/d3. (For comparison, Caitlin Clark made 38.7% of her threes, albeit with more unbelievable range and quick release.)

LSU's (>Iowa) almost paranormal 3-point shooting in the first half gave me déjà vu of Wartburg women's first half against the Hope women. Moreover, both first halves ended with killer long-range 3's . . . followed by a third quarter resurgence by the trailing team, with their hopes dashed with their opponents' 4th quarter dominance.

[sac]

Hope has received a pair of commitments for 2024/25

Both from Lansing Catholic Central
Leah Richards 6-0 C
Anna Richards 5-8 G

LCC won the D2 State Championship this year and with these two and a strong Jr/So class they should have a great shot again next year.   Leah was 1st team all-state and Anna 2nd team. 

[Riley Zayas]

Hope has received a pair of commitments for 2024/25

Both from Lansing Catholic Central
Leah Richards 6-0 C
Anna Richards 5-8 G

LCC won the D2 State Championship this year and with these two and a strong Jr/So class they should have a great shot again next year.   Leah was 1st team all-state and Anna 2nd team.

Hope's future is bright and Morehouse is a world-class recruiter. Not often you see kids committing to D3s as juniors in HS, but that is the Hope brand selling itself. Nice to see.

[TUAngola]

New Trine commit:

Allie Walther, 5'5 G, Schoolcraft MI.  Transfer from Lake Superior State.  Her high school Hudl video sort of reminds me of Sidney Wagner version 2.0.

[scottiedawg]

Hope's schedule is out. Nice potential NonConf slate. https://athletics.hope.edu/sports/womens-basketball/schedule/2023-24

I'm not sure how the MIAA (or Region 7) will look with Hope, Trine, and Albion all graduating large and strong classes.

[pointlem]

I'm not sure how the MIAA (or Region 7) will look with Hope, Trine, and Albion all graduating large and strong classes.

How true, Scottiedawg . . . a rebuilding year after Hope has bid farewell to superb graduating classes the last two years, with a lot of new faces likely on next year's team.

[scottiedawg]

The average school returns 70.7% of last year's production.

Hope -> 43%
Trine -> 54%
Calvin -> 39%
Alma -> 86%
Adrian -> 85%
Albion -> 59%
Olivet -> 82%
Kalamazoo -> 89%
St. Mary's -> 67%